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The fact that when they didn’t have time to spend together, they missed each other like crazy, but when they finally met, they just lived a normal life together was kind of ironic. Xiao Zhan had been wanting to see Yibo for so many days, not even being able to sleep the night before because of impatience. However, now they were in their house in Beijing, just spending the evening together as if it was just another day, and while Yibo was playing videogames on the sofa, he was cooking a bit of dinner for both. Only then, he realized how used he was already to stay beside that young man. How used he was to his presence or his cuddles. In the moment he didn’t have that, a feeling of missing something chased him wherever he went. That was why, only back home, he could be at ease.
Suddenly, two arms hugged his waist by behind, surprising him gladly. “I’m hungry” a lion growled beside his ear and Xiao Zhan giggled.
“Just ten minutes more, don't be a kid” his hands continued cutting the tomato on slices while a man kissed his cheek.
“Okay...” Yibo accepted reluctantly and returned to the sofa. Then, Xiao Zhan glanced at him, playing as what he was, just a 25 years old man who was tired and lazy. He never saw the idol Wang Yibo in home. And he was satisfied with that.
Again, his hands ended up from cutting the tomato and when his fingers dropped the knife, he found that ring tenderly embracing his annular. Unconsciously, he started to spin it around softly, feeling the warm silver metal on his fingertips. A soft smile flooded his face shyly and for a second, he forgot about the food for just remembering the day Yibo asked him to be his husband. Years have gone by since their engagement night, still his eyes got teary. He would never forget how lucky he had always felt since Yibo showed up in his life. How lucky he still was. And how lucky he knew he was going to be. He was sure of that.
“Zhan-ge, you said ten minutes” a pouting Yibo called him from the sofa, starving like a kid. Immediately, Xiao Zhan came back to reality from his cloud of joy and put the dinner into two bowls and a plate for both. Then, Yibo came to help him carry the food to the table and relaxedly, they started to fill each other's bowls to share. It was an habit, especially Yibo filling Xiao Zhan's with meat or the best vegetables so he made sure he ate properly. The older man stopped complaining long time ago and emptied his part properly, satisfying that man once more.
“Let me wash the dishes, watch the TV” Yibo cleaned the table and diligently, went to the kitchen. Xiao Zhan still followed him to observe how he worked and brushed his hair on his nape.
“It has grown up a lot, do you want me to cut it?” his partner offered, checking how fast it became long.
“Okay” Yibo accepted right after, not remembering what Xiao Zhan realized seconds later.
“Wait, your stylist is mad every time you appear with shorter hair, why do you say yes, then?” the older man sighed, leaning on the worktop beside him.
“Because I like you cutting it” he said effortlessly, removing the soap of the bowls calmly. Yet Xiao Zhan's strength weakened a bit.
“Aiyo... Save me a bit of face. The stylist is gonna be mad at me too” he scolded him gently, as if he was little kid.
“No, I tell him you don't know you're not supposed to cut it” that explanation made Xiao Zhan wide his eyes.
“How many times have you told him that?”
“Every time you cut my hair”
“Wang Yibo!” he spoke his name as a way to show his shocked expression. “I’ve cut your hair dozens of times! Do you think he's stupid?” Xiao Zhan couldn’t believe how Yibo could be so cheeky and childish when it was about him.
Then, the younger man took the dried bowls to its place. “No, that's why I wonder why he still gets mad when you cut it” Xiao Zhan's mouth was so open his jaw was even aching.
“Aiyo, Yibo... I don't know what I'm gonna do with you...” his voice sounded even tired and it was when he left the kitchen, leaving a startled Yibo there, wondering what he had done wrong.
Many times, in order to make him happy, that man did so many strange actions that ended up bothering Xiao Zhan. Yibo was pretty mature for his age, but there was still a small side in him that shouted he was a kid yet. That moment had been one of them. And because this time it involved third parties, he was disturbed. So in the end, he went to their bedroom, lying down on the sheets to read a book he had on his nightstand. However, his eyes refused to understand even two lines straight of what was written on it, so he sighed and placed his head on the pillow, glancing through the window to find a full moon brightening in the dark sky as a diamond.
Staring at it, he heard the door opening and a man coming inside to lie down beside him. “I’m sorry” those two words resonated in his ears as water fighting against the fire. His head was turned and looked at those regretful eyes. Slowly, his hand touched that soft cheek.
“Yibo, you should understand that's work. I love to cut your hair, but only when you need it” his voice was low and warm, the subject wasn't that important and he hated to see those almond eyes like that.
“I know... I'll ask the stylist first next time” his solution made Xiao Zhan smile and he sat a bit to grab him so Yibo would lean his back on his torso. Slowly, his nose smelt his fresh essence and his arms hugged him tighter unconsciously.
“Lately, you're apologizing real fast” he pointed out with a giggle and Yibo intertwined their fingers, making those two rings meet shyly.
“Because Zhan-ge is always right. You always help me to be better” even if Xiao Xhan thought they would start to fight and play, the last part made his heart shake harshly.
“My puppy is really cute...” he cried out while hididng his face on his shoulder and Yibo chuckled while brushing his hair fleetingly. Then, suddenly, he heard the sound of a camera doing a photo and when he raised his face, Yibo had taken a selfie of them with his phone. “What are you doing? Haven't you got enough photos of us already?” he complained while trying to steal the phone from his hands. Instead, Yibo continued hitting the button, taking dozens of selfies as they fought.
“I never have enough with Zhan-ge!” the young man giggled loudly as two hands tickled him until the phone fell over the mattress. Then, Xiao Zhan took over and checked all the pictures that had just been recently done. Their faces were hilarious and none was deleted. For some reason he felt each of them was so precious even if they looked really ugly in some.
“Let’s take one properly at least” he hit the back of that dead man whose head was raised as much as his eyebrows. Slowly, Yibo kneeled on the bed and moved until his side, placing his head between Xiao Zhan's and his shoulder. Two smiles were engraved on that phone once more and the older man went straight to see it, yet Yibo grabbed the phone and with his free hand, he moved Xiao Zhan's face to be nose against nose. Along with a smirk, Yibo embraced the lips of that man, which were moved slowly as their ears listened to several captures. A few seconds after, their eyes met sweetly, forgetting the selfies for an instant.
“Done” he smiled wildly and Xiao Zhan looked away to hide his flushed face and ears. Meanwhile, Yibo checked the thirteen photos he had taken randomly and even if they weren't too centered, they were flawless, a vivid proof of their love. “You're really cute while kissing me” his chuckles made Xiao Zhan return and steal the phone to see them himself. Indeed, they looked perfect together. And suddenly, an idea crossed his mind. He opened Weibo and chose the two photos they had done with the caption “the luckiest of the lucks”. However, he never pressed the post button and just stared at that dream.
“What would happen if I did it?” Xiao Zhan asked leaving the phone of the bed, just feeling how much he desired to post daily stuff of their relationship and he was unable to. Then, Yibo glanced at it and sighed while kissing his temple.
“We know what would happen, but we don't dare to face it” Yibo spoke gloomily.
“I really want to do it, but... I'm unable to” his hand became a fist that was even trembling from the frustration. Slowly, another bigger hand surrounded it to calm it.
“One day we will do it” his voice attracted his gaze. “When we're ready” a tender smile welcomed him and indeed, his sorrows were slightly shut down.
“You've been ready for so long, though” he remembered, feeling a sudden blame. Still a hand pulled from his head towards his shoulder.
“And you will, there's nothing bad on waiting” immediately, Xiao Zhan drew a grin on his lips, raising his eyes to caress his jaw.
“You also make me be better” sparkles appeared into Yibo's pupils when he heard that. For a second, he had to set his gaze aside while giggling embarrassedly.
“Stealing phrases now, Zhan-ge?” he could counterattack by beginning a fight. Xiao Zhan opened his mouth, pretending to be offended and controlling his uncontrollable smile.
“What?”
“You must pay then!” suddenly, Yibo threw himself over his partner, trying to tickle him back as much as he had done before. In the middle of endless struggles, moves and limbs hitting everything close, the phone danced around the bed, being forgotten by the couple who continued playing happily.
“You're gonna regret this!” Xiao Zhan accepted their bed as the battlefield and took over, trapping Yibo against the sheets to torture him, but in a more adult way this time... Meanwhile, the phone screen went off after doing its job diligently.
*****
The loud noise of a phone ringing woke Yibo up. He sighed before stretching his body after having hugged that long man for who knew how many hours. Then, he stood up and walked between the amounts of clothes that died in the battle last night. He frowned, trying to search for it as it constantly rang, making a man on the bed growl disturbed. “I pick it, I pick it...” finally, he found it on the floor. He frowned, but didn't have time to wonder why, answering to the other side while yawning.
“Can you tell me what the hell you have done?!” suddenly, someone from his company yelled at him so strong that Yibo closed his eyes and removed the speaker a bit.
“What?” he could only say that, noticing how his brain was barely bursting.
“Those pics!! How do you dare to post those pics?! Are you crazy?! Your careers are done! You understand me?! Done!” the other party continued shouting random stuff, confusing Yibo until he was fed up.
“What are you talking about? What pics?” he was starting to feel more awake by the annoy.
“In Xiao Zhan's Weibo! You're crazy!” the person at the other side continued yelling and yelling, while Yibo went to pick up his partner's phone to unlock it and open his Weibo. Suddenly, a post, exactly the post he wrote last night, appeared there, the timestamp indicating it had been around that moment. The blood froze in his veins.
“I'll call you later”
“Don't dare to-!” Yibo hung up, checking that post better with his eyes as wide as an owl. Immediately, he found out that caption with those two photos of them, first hugging and after kissing, in the last one showing the ring on his hand as well. Then, he also saw fifteen millions of likes, two millions of comments, five millions of reposts. It barely collapsed the whole SNS. Because, in the hot searches, the whole top ten was about them, all the news had that post circulating around. For a second, his breath stopped by what this meant. But all Yibo could do was approaching the bed and shaking Xiao Zhan strongly to wake him up in a rush.
“What happens...?” he complained while sitting before focusing his gaze on the screen. His brain couldn’t understand what he was looking at at first. However, once he realized it, his eyes almost fell from his face and a wave of anxiety crossed his chest, drowning him violently. “Who posted this?” that was all he could ask.
“Maybe last night when we played... Someone had to touch the screen accidentally...” Yibo started to talk seriously, but half way, he chuckled uncontrollably.
Xiao Zhan, instead, frowned. “Do you think this is funny?” his question sounded offended.
“So funny” his laughter became louder as he sat on the bed beside him. When he could stop a bit, his hand grabbed his partner's softly and found those anguished eyes. “Zhan-ge, we're free” he giggled, so happily that he wanted to die.
“Free...?” right after hearing that word, something in his head did a click and not only the anxiety that had just showed up, but also the stress, the frustration, the sadness and pain decreased exponentially in a second. It was like the chains around his wings had faded away and now he was able to fly beside Yibo. Something that he had been wanting to do since the very beginning. So when he realized, Yibo's smile wasn't the one in that room. He was showing all his teeth as well, feeling euphoric for finally having done what he had dreamed for so long.
Without thinking about the consequences or what they might have to face from now on, his arms received the happiest man in this world, embracing each other as tight as they were able without suffocating one another. “Fate chose for us...” he spoke beside Yibo's ear, who rubbed his back gently. They just kept like that, being free together and enjoying the morning they would never forget.
Only then, Xiao Zhan realized he was more ready than what he had thought because after all, who doesn't yearn for freedom?